Psychoactive Substances Bill: Commons remaining stages

20 January 2016

MPs will debate the Report Stage and Third Reading of the Psychoactive Substances Bill in the House of Commons on Wednesday 20 January 2016.

Proceedings on the Bill are expected to start at 12.45pm, following the conclusion of the Ten Minute Rule Motion on the Transport of Nuclear Weapons but may be later if any Urgent Questions or statements are granted on the day.

Timings are approximate as Parliamentary business is subject to change.

Transcripts of the proceedings in the House of Commons Chamber are available three hours after they happen in Today's Commons debates.

Related information

Summary of the Psychoactive Substances Bill

A Bill to make provision about psychoactive substances; and for connected purposes.

Progress of the Bill

This Bill is a public bill presented to Parliament by the Government. It was introduced to the House of Lords on 28 May 2015. It completed its Lords stages on 20 July and was introduced to the Commons with first reading on 21 July.

The Bill concluded its Committee stage on 29 October 2015.

Keep up to date with all the proceedings and documentation, including amendment papers on the Psychoactive Substances Bill and find out how a Bill becomes an Act of Parliament.

What happens next?

If the Bill passes all of its stages in the House of Commons it will return to the House of Lords for consideration.

What is the report stage of a bill?

The report stage gives MPs an opportunity, on the floor of the House, to consider any further amendments (proposals for change) to a bill which has been examined in a public bill committee or on the floor of the House. There is no set time period between the end of committee stage and the start of the report stage.

What happens at report stage?

All MPs may speak and vote. For lengthy or complex bills, the debates may be spread over several days. All MPs can suggest amendments to the bill or new clauses (parts) that they think should be added.

What happens after report stage?

Report stage is usually followed immediately by debate on the bill's third reading.

What happens at third reading?

Debate on the bill is usually short, and limited to what is actually in the bill, rather than, as at second reading, what might have been included.

Amendments (proposals for change) cannot be made to a bill at a third reading in the Commons. At the end of the debate, the House decides (votes on) whether to approve the third reading of the bill.

What happens after third reading?

If the bill started in the Commons it goes to the House of Lords for its first reading.

If the bill started in the Lords it returns to the House of Lords for consideration of any amendments the Commons has made.

Watching proceedings from the public gallery

UK residents and overseas visitors can watch proceedings in the House of Commons by visiting the public gallery.